After a Christmas period of rumours, speculation about the Queen's health has started to fade.

But what will actually happen when the Queen dies?

At 90 and having suffered from what was said to have been a heavy cold over Christmas, there was a fake media report that the monarch had died.

There are though many who have now started to wonder what will happen when Queen Elizabeth does eventually die

It prompted Buckingham Palace to take the unusual step of commenting on Her Majesty's health, saying the Queen "continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery."

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There are though many who have now started to wonder what will happen when Queen Elizabeth does eventually die.

What will happen in Great Britain when that occurs?

It will trigger an official 12-day period of national mourning.

The Union flag will be flown at half mast throughout the country and books of condolence will be opened at embassies across the world.

The London Stock Exchange will be closed for at least the day of the Queen's funeral and potentially for several days - potentially costing the economy billions.

The Queen's body will be taken to Parliament, where she will lie in state in Westminster Hall – like the Queen Mother in 2002 – until her funeral.

More than 200,000 people travelled to pay their respects to the Queen Mother and that number is expected to be vastly exceeded in the event of the Queen's death.

If Her Majesty dies during the night, her death would reportedly not be announced until 8am, after which her portrait will be displayed on the screen accompanied by the national anthem - as happened following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

The BBC will also suspend all comedy programming during the 12-day period of national mourning.

The BBC regularly practices how it will respond to the Queen's death.

As first in line to the throne, Prince Charles will automatically become King when the Queen dies as the throne is technically never vacant.

The Prince of Wales would be declared King Charles III

However, the accession council would need to be convened at St James's Palace to formally declare Charles the king.

He would be asked to swear loyalty to Parliament and the Church of England in front of the council.

In turn, the Houses of Parliament will be recalled to swear loyalty to him.